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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22380013">A Short Rest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghosthouses/pseuds/ghosthouses'>ghosthouses</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Ficlet, Post Link's Awakening, Post-Canon, Reunion Sex, let link have a nap</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:53:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22380013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghosthouses/pseuds/ghosthouses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Link comes back to Hyrule after being away for several years.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Short Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>After the Link's Awakening remake run at AGDQ 2020, there was a donation that asked "Link, did you have a good dream?" and then I wrote this thing.<br/>This Link also did the Oracle games but I never played them so I don't reference them directly at all.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"You're back," says the Queen, when she realizes who has snuck into her bedchamber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her Hero puts something away in a pack at his hip. "Your guard is inadequate."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiles and rises from her writing desk to meet him. "You are not a fair assessment."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes a step closer and they’re standing face to face, accessing each other silently. There's a new scar above his left eyebrow and another on his lip. She has to tilt her head a little more to meet his eyes but the core of the boy she knew is there. He does not smell like he has just been traveling, a fact that delights and amuses her and she will tease him for it later. As if she is not a long line of anticipation herself from head to toe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She supposes there’s some small talk to be had, questions about his voyage, etc, but she can’t think. She's not sure if she's allowed to touch him, they were practically children before and there are years between them now. It doesn’t matter; maybe he reads it on her face or he is just bolder because he slides leather fingers across her jaw and into her hair and then stops, holding her there, thoughtful. She keeps her breath steady but allows herself to sink into his hand just a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He does kiss her, finally, tension breaking . She feels all the traces of his lips on her still when he pulls away, left unfinished, but it takes no coaxing to lead him to bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back then, they were encouraged by pure excitement and simple opportunity, it was artless but effective. Now, he has definitely improved his skills, the implications of which she finds hard to care about when he leaves her so undone. And she has some new ideas of her own, can also draw pleasure from him and coax her name from his lips and force bruises on her hips from his fingers. She feels a little embarrassed by her imagination that the real thing was so much better than she had hoped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My guard is inadequate," she echoes later, considering now the events of the evening with less distraction. She feels a breath of laugh from where he is laying on her breast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hyrule is at peace and you are well-loved."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wants to know what he's missed and she tells him; Sahasrahla has passed, but his daughter now leads Kakariko. With Ganon's influence gone, the Hylians have been expanding -- there are settlements in the desert and the eastern ruins ("Right, the desert is southwest" he murmurs cryptically to himself and she doesn't ask). Everywhere is more peaceful and inviting except the forest, which has grown darker and tighter around itself, not even the thieves will enter. He is pleased by this, as she expected, what sleeps there remains unneeded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I dreamt of you," he says, after a silence, pushing up to face her. She kisses him with understanding, dreams are a constant for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she feels playful and asks, "Was it a good dream?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He's not there for a moment, then lowers himself back down to her chest. "Parts of it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks so tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Will you stay for a while?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know. What use am I here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, we have been discussing my guard a great deal..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn't laugh this time. "And then what?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Must you be useful?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes a long time to answer. "Everywhere I go I am needed. I have to assume there are more lands in danger, that this is what the goddesses have planned for me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thinks the talk of deities is meant to shut her down, so she'll let it go for now. She does not say that she needs him, that they want her to marry and she wants no one else, because it seems so small in comparison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sleeps poorly and is awake at first light, saying he'll be back in the evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A month," he promises, on his return. She'll take it. At the very least, she can send him to his next adventure well-rested and full of affection.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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